I have never had so many issues with bulbs before. Now I should know better than to use eBay bulbs, but still...

I drive with my lights on all the time. It's usually odd that they aren't on. Something about a black truck being invisible on the road...

So I bought some yellow bulbs for my fog lights. I drive early in the AM to sometimes dusk hours and being seen is rather important to me. Yellow stands out in the night sometimes better than white. So I get these bulbs, because I've been looking for yellow replacements for the whites for as long as I've had my Dakota. Dang things won't last a week before burning out.

Now before y'all start flaming me for buying cheapo bulbs, even the NAPA bulbs only make it a few months before burning out, which I find unacceptable. My headlights, however, are going on a year now, from Shucks/O'Reilly's.

These Yellow bulbs are supposed to fit the Jeep Patriot, but are still H10 series bulbs, which fit the Dakota fog lights as well.

Input?

 

The only factors I can see shortening a bulbs life are electrical or physical. I have been having problems with a front left marker/signal light bulb on my Caravan. The bulb lasts a couple of months at best. Turns out the housing is two piece and the inner (reflector) piece is broken loose causing physical damage to the bulb.

Are these the factory bumper mounted fog lights or aftermarket add ons? If they are aftermarket, are they installed in a way that makes them subject to excessive vibration? Would there for be unclean current going to them as in a bad connection causing short interruptions in power to the bulb? Maybe so short you can't see it but enough to shorten the life of the filament. Try dielectric grease on the contacts. Are the contacts corroded or show signs of arcing?

Don't know. Just thoughts.

 

Factory, in the bumper guard.

mmmm dielectric grease. Sounds fun...

 

My fogs have been lasting about a year now, no issues. I think their just from autozone. But I bought "xenon" headlight bulbs from ebay and they weren't bright, and only lasted a few weeks.. For $12, you get what you pay for..

 

check for moisture in the light housing, the slightest water droplet while ligfts are on will blow them out. i have cracks(road rocks) in mine and if i dont keep the moisture out i go through bulbs quick.

 

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but both of my outer OEM foglight lense's are cracked (Discovered this the first time I washed the truck)

Anyone have recommendation where to get replacement lenses? Because I have a feeling that it will be just a matter of time before the bulbs go out.

 

Ebay.... Replacing them? That's the challenge because you need to drop the bumper cover off to do it. I need to replace the right one of mine. I have it. I just need to remove the bumper guard as well. Oh joy...

Oh, and stop hijacking!

 

You putting the bulbs in with your bare hands?

Any oils from your fingers will create hot spots and burn the bulbs up very fast.

Some complain that Silverstars don't last long. I have a few cars with them and not a one is less than 5 years old now.

Either install then wearing some gloves that won't allow any oils thru, or wipe them down with denatured alky after they are installed in their sockets.

 

I've had a pair of $6 ebay bulbs for awhile. no problems.